There was much to hear and tell on both sides. One story that greatly interested the newcomers was that of a Peruvian ship, loaded with natives, that came to Pitcairn from Easter Island the year before, 1863. The captain of the ship, on coming near enough, ordered a boat to be lowered and manned. He himself went in the boat to seek for a landing place. The people on shore observing the boat approaching, two men went off in a canoe to meet the strangers. The captain accosted them with the question, “Can you speak Anglice?” Receiving an answer in the affirmative, he said that he was going ashore to see if he could get some sugar cane for a load of slaves he had on board, whom, he informed them, he was taking to their homes. On coming ashore he tried by many arguments to persuade every member of the two families to accompany him back to the ship, where, he assured them, they would receive kind treatment. One thing he objected to was their knowledge of the English language, and he told them also that their skins were not as dark as he expected to find them.
The captain’s entreaties for them to go on board, and his oft-repeated expressions of kindness toward them, served to arouse their suspicions, and they firmly declined; however, the two men who had been to meet the boat went on board the ship. There they saw a sight which they could not easily forget. Numbers of poor natives of different ages, from quite young children to men and women in and beyond middle life, many of whom were entirely naked, were crowded into the close and stifling hold of the ship. Those who were not entirely naked had a waistcloth only for their covering. All seemed sad, and their countenances bore the trace of much sorrow, and had a look of hopeless misery. The atmosphere of the place where the poor natives were confined was very unwholesome from want of fresh air, and many of the slaves were suffering from a distressing cough that shook their frames. The captain told them that he was going to the Gambier Islands, on his way to restore the poor creatures to their homes.
It was not until many years had passed that the truth about the ship and her business was made known. The natives were being taken to the Peruvian Coast to work as slaves, and the captain was trying to get all he could to go with him. Long afterwards some of the survivors returned to their home on Easter Island, but with their return were introduced certain diseases which until then had been unknown among their people. So their home coming was as much a cause of regret as of rejoicing.
While the two families on Pitcairn Island were blessed with robust health and plenty of food, their clothing was very scanty, and was made to do service long after it was threadbare, and while scarcely of sufficient body to hold together. Their very limited supply was obtained from whale ships that once in a long while would call in to obtain fresh provisions. On one occasion they were imposed upon in the following manner: The captain of a certain whale ship, requiring something fresh in the way of fruit and other things, called in at the island to obtain a supply. He took from the islanders one hundred and eighteen fowls, a number of hogs, about eighteen barrels in all of yams and potatoes, and large quantities of fruit, the getting of which and carrying them down to the landing place occupied the handful of men and women and the few children that were old enough to help, for a whole week. The people were sorely in need of clothing, which could very well have been sold them in payment of what they gave, but they received in return about sixteen yards of calico, three boxes of soap, two of which carried together just made a comfortable load for a boy to carry, and the bargain was finished by the addition of a coil of rope and two half worn-out tubs, which served the purpose of emptying the mud out from the wells on the island that required cleaning. The captain pleaded hard times as an excuse for what he gave, and the people had to be satisfied with such an explanation. But in telling the story afterwards many a hearty laugh was had at their own expense, seeing how easily they were imposed upon and how they took it as a matter of course.
CHAPTER XVII.
AT HOME AGAIN.
Visit of H.M.S. Sutlej